With nearly 100 new or updated tablets shown last week at CES, the show was unofficially nicknamed Tabletpalooza. But how to keep track of all those gadgets and which ones really matter? Don't even try. Here are the top 10 you should keep in mind. Note that all of them use capacitive touchscreens, because resistive displays are a nonstarter these days.
Motorola Xoom. The 10.1-in. Android 3.0 (GOOG), or Honeycomb, tablet sports an Nvidia (NVDA) Tegra 2 dual-core processor, uses a laptop-like 1280 x 800 resolution, and has two cameras: a 2-megapixel sensor in the front for video chat over Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G and a 5-megapixel rear camera for stills and 720p video recording. It will initially work on Verizon's (VZ) 3G network but will be upgradable to 4G/LTE soon after launch. The Xoom (MMI) is expected to be available in the first quarter, although no pricing has been announced.
ASUS Eee Pad Transformer. The 10.1-in. Android 3.0 tablet runs for 8 hours but can mate with a keyboard dock, providing a laptop-style configuration while boosting battery life up to 16 hours. The slate runs on the dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and features two cameras. It will sell for $399 to $699 and be available in April.
ASUS Eee Pad Slider. The smartbook-like 10.1-in. Slider is similar to the Transformer, but features an always-attached, slide-out keyboard and weighs in at 2.2 pounds. It features Android 3.0, a Tegra 2 processor, and two cameras. It will sell for $499 to $799 and be available in May.
BlackBerry PlayBook. RIM (RIMM) announced a 4G version of this 7-in. tablet that will run on Sprint's (S) WiMAX network. The 1 GHz dual-core tablet runs the QNX operating system and includes a 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, 1 GB of memory, and two cameras. Although the final software isn't ready, the overall user experience shows elegance, fluidity, and solid performance as shown on our video look. Both the Wi-Fi and 4G versions are expected to be available by this summer.
Acer Iconia Tab A500. Iconia is another thin Android tablet, but Acer added a custom user interface (UI) to the device, which could make future updates a challenge. The lack of hardware buttons on the display bezel required Acer to create gestures from the bezel; sliding a finger from the right edge toward the screen brings up software buttons to go back or home, for example. The 13.3-millimeter-thick Iconia runs on a Tegra 2 and will follow the Xoom as an LTE-enabled tablet on Verizon's network later this year.
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